Eric Flint - Grantville Gazette.Volume 22

Agnes smiled at Svend. The light snowflakes that had settled on her hair and eyelashes made Svend think of the fairies he had read about.

The wine shop owner was a rotund, red-faced gentleman who evidently sampled his own wares. While he loaded the bottles, he kept up a constant stream of advice. "Remember young sir; let the bottles have a chance to settle before you have them served. Also, store them on their sides to keep the corks moist. That will help preserve the wine's flavor." Svend paid for the purchase and then they left.

When they reached the ship, the snow was coming down hard enough to muffle all sound. Agnes' eyes lit up in delight. The rigging was covered in snow. "It looks like it's covered in lace!" Two crewmen spotted John and hurried down the gangplank to assist in bringing the wine on board.

"I must be old," John muttered, "pushing a wheelbarrow like this never was this hard before."

Svend laughed. "Mistress Roe, may I present the ship Kobenhavn and its crew, ready for your inspection."

Agnes dropped a curtsey. "Thank you, good sir. I am ready." She offered her arm to Svend.

John broke down laughing at their antics. Eventually, the laughter spread to Svend and Agnes and all three boarded the Kobenhavn, unable to stop laughing.

The laughter brought Luke on deck to investigate. When he spotted John laughing, he called across the deck, "Mr. Barrow, I sent you to fetch the wine, not sample it!"

John looked like a fish out of water, until he realized the captain was just pulling his leg. He turned to Svend and winked. "I guess I'm in trouble. You'll just have to escort Mistress Roe by yourself."

Svend helped Agnes ascend the ladder to the aftercastle. "Here is where the captain runs the ship." Agnes walked to the railing and peered down. She stepped back quickly, "That's a long way down to the water."

"Not half as far down as the view from the masthead," Svend said.

"This is quite high enough for me. I'll never go that high up." She gestured back to the stern and asked, "What's the porch at the end of the boat for?"

"This is a ship, not a boat and that porch is the captain's walk. When Captain Foxe wants some privacy, he has his own deck area. If you'll follow me, I'll show you his cabin and where the officers and staff are berthed"

For the next hour, Svend guided Agnes on a tour of the ship. The cramped crews' quarters were warm, even though it was snowing on deck and were rank with the smell of unwashed bodies mixed with the smells from the bilge. They beat a hasty retreat from the smells and took a short cut through the hold to reach the ladder leading to the forecastle. When they were back on deck, Svend announced, "That's the tour for the ship. Do you have any questions?"

Agnes blushed but asked, "It's been a long morning. Can you direct me to the necessary room before we go?"

Svend felt like he had swallowed a fly. Captain Foxe and Mr. Barrow were nearby and overheard the exchange. "Didn't I tell you, John? Just the other day I said we should have Mette come by to get a woman's point of view! We'll have to make provision for any female passengers we embark! Mistress Roe, I must apologize but the only one we have is for the crew. It would not be appropriate for a lady. I imagine what Svend choked on was the thought of trying to explain the head to you. Master McDermott, escort Mistress Roe to the King's Arms Inn. She can freshen up there and we all can have a nice meal before you escort her back to Sir Thomas' house."

During the meal, Captain Foxe regaled the youngsters with tales from his last voyage to the New World. Two hours later, while Svend walked Agnes to her uncle's house, she stopped to admire the ship through the curtain of snow. "I truly envy you, Svend McDermott. So many adventures ahead. I wish I could go with you." She took Svend by his hands, reached up on tip toes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for letting me see a little of your new world." She paused for a moment and then pulled him along as she headed off for her uncle's house. "I should be getting home soon. Cook will wonder what's become of me."

Even with the snow swirling around them, Svend could have sworn the sun was shining.

That evening, after all the supper patrons had been served and the main room had cleared, Luke asked Mette to join him. "Mette, I've come to value your advice. I need a woman's perspective on a problem that has come up. The expedition's planning has overlooked the women's needs and that could cause some serious problems. Could you take some time out from your busy schedule to help me identify what I've missed?"

"Of course, Luke. You've done so much already for me and my family; I would be delighted to help."

When she smiled, Luke screwed up his courage to ask the other question he had been afraid to ask. "Mette, I've also come to value my time spent here. I've never had a family and have no close relatives. Svend has almost become a son to me."

"He's spoken highly of you, too. He's missed his father and you are such a good influence. The other children have enjoyed the tales you've told in the evenings. I have, too. You should consider publishing your journal. People would be interested in the New World. You've brought a joy to the house that hasn't been here for some time." She blushed a bit. "I've enjoyed your company, too, Captain."

"Please call me Luke. This is very hard for me. I know you lost your husband to the sea and I'm not a young man, but would you entertain an offer of courtship? I've nothing to offer but myself and my ship right now. But if this expedition is successful, we should be able to retire very comfortably."

Mette sat as though she were in a daze. Luke slowly rewrote Dante's Inferno in his mind, with himself as the main character, as he waited for Mette's reply. Gradually, a smile lit up Mette's face. "I would be honored, Luke." In one galvanic leap, Luke's heart went from hell to heaven.

Mette continued, "I've had similar feelings, but was afraid to voice them. Let's wait to tell the children until your plans are more settled."

Luke took Mette's hand and drew her to him. It was quite some time before they remembered the expedition's needs.

The letter had arrived the day after Christmas, to announce that the miners Herr Cavriani had convinced to join the expedition were on their way to Copenhagen. Adolphus Bamberg had just enough warning to convert his warehouse into temporary quarters. When he finished, Sir Thomas and Reuben Abrabanel stopped in to check on the progress.

"Are these makeshift quarters going to be sufficient?" Reuben looked around skeptically. The canvas partitions gave little privacy. The two stoves, one at each end of the room, gave just enough heat to take the chill off.

"Once we get twenty or so people in here, it should be adequate. With all the refugees in town, they should be thankful that they have four solid walls and a roof. Captain Foxe says that he will quarter any overflow on board the Kobenhavn. Its temporary cabins are set up and can handle any families that arrive. We're just taking the single men here." Bamberg pointed to the door in the rear. "The sanitary facilities will be stretched, but the cold weather should help some. There was a new pit dug last summer."

Sir Thomas gave his approval. "You did a good job on such short notice, Adolphus. Two weeks seems like a short time for a group to travel in winter down the Elbe River. Have you heard how many miners are coming?"

"No, just that they left for Copenhagen about two weeks ago, and that I should expect a large group. Herr Cavriani was very sparse on the details. I'm not sure he was even there when they left. I'll send a note to you when they arrive."

Late the next evening, just after he had retired for the night, a loud pounding on the main warehouse door roused Bamberg. In a heavy dressing gown and cap, he hurried to the door. The local sergeant of the watch, Karl, along with another man, covered in snow, stepped in when he opened the door. "I have a group at the docks who say you're expecting them. They say they're miners from Bamberg and look down on their luck. I didn't want them wandering the streets at this time of night, and in this weather, without making sure they were who they said they were. This man is their leader, Ludwig Steinbrecher."